Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

l S. G. HOWE.

GAR COUPLING. No. 346,370. Patented July Z7, 1886.

Attorney N PETERS, Phaxo-Limogmphnr. wmngmn, D. c

ATENT errors SOLON G. HOVE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CAR-COUPLIN G.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 346,370, dated `linly27, 1886. Application filed June 4, 1886'. Serial No. 204,137. (Nomodel.)

To all whom zit may concern:

Be it known that I, SoLoN G. HoWE, of Detroit, county of /Vayne, Stateof Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplers;and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same, suoli as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements incar-couplers; and it consists in the construction, arrangement, andcombinations of devices,more fully hereinafter described, and moreparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an inverted plan of a device embodying` myinvention; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section; Fig. 3, an end view.Fig. 4 is an inverted plan of a modification of my device; Fig. 5,alongitudinal section of the malleable casting; Fig. 6, an inverted planof the same; Fig. 7, a horizontal longitudinal section of the draw-barand casting complete, and Fig. 8 a longitudinal vertical section of thesame. Fig. 9 is a separate view of one of the springs.

I carry out myinvention as follows: In the drawings, A represents a ear,B, a draw-bar engaged therewith; C, the usual spring in the rear of thedraw-bar; b b, the usual springblocks; O, the usual coupling-pinconnecting the draw-bar and spring. The draw-bar is constructed with anopen front end, as shown, and also is made open upon its under surfaceto receive an operating fastener or hook, D, rotatably engaged in placewithin the drawbar intermediate of the ends of said fastener, as shownat d. E is the journal or pin upon which said fastener or hook isrotatably engaged. As shown, I prefer to provide the fastener adjacentto its engagement with said journal with extended shoulders d d2 and torecess the adjacent parts of the draw-bar, as shown at b2 b3, to receivesaid extensions of the fastener, the construction and obj ect being torelieve the strain npon the journal when the link of the adjacent car isengaged with the fastener, and cause the strain to be communicatedchiedy to the draw-bar itself. The fastener is constructed, preferably,with a curved forward extremity and recessed near its forward end, asshown at d3, leaving a hook, d, over which the link F may be engaged.The rear end of the fastener is extended, as shown, and preferablybeveled upon its upper face, to permit said rear end being elevatedwithin the draw-bar, so as t-o tilt downward the front end of thefastener' to release the link therefrom.

G represents a bar engaged upon the forward end of the car in any propermanner, and which may be bent intermediate of its ends, as shown in Fig.3, and passed under the draw-bar. This operating-bar is provided with anextended lever-arm, G', having oontact with the fastener at or near itsrear end, so that when the draw-bar is tilted in the proper directionsaid leverarni will force upward the rear of the fastener and tiltdownward its forward end for the release of the link.

Gl2 is a bar extended to the top of the car, preferably adjacent to theordinary brake-bar, and connected at its base with the operatingbar G,so that by a pressure of the foot upon said bar G2 the operating-barwill be tilted in the same manner as from the side of the car to tiltthe fastener. I provide the bar G with a spring, g, properly engaged forretracting the bar G when the pressure of the foot is relieved. I alsoprovide a spring, g, engaged within the draw-bar and bearing upon thefastener in any proper manner, toforce it into normal position whenever'the operating-bar G is not in use, the spring being designed to throwup- Ward the forward end of the fastener to engage the link, and inwhich position also it is ready to receive the link of the adjacent ear,as it is evident that said link may be forced into engagement with thefastener, since, when it enters the open end of the draw-bar, it willcome in contact with the curved end of the fastener, depressing theforward end of the fastener to permit the passage of the link over thehooked end thereof, when the spring g will cause the engagement ot' thefastener therewith.

II represents a rack-bar engaged upon the side of the car, and lt anysuitable ratchet mechanism engaging with the operating-bar G, to holdsaid bar in any desired position, in case it should be desired to keepthe fastener open or its forward end tilted downward, so as to preventcoupling thereby.

I represents a spring engaged with the drawbar upon its interior, andarranged to bear upon the link when engaged with the fastener and tohold it in a straight or substantially horizontal position. The draw-barmay be recessed, as shown at b5, to receive the forward end of thespring. The spring may be of any desired shape, and by its use the linkmay be "et in proper position for coupling with a corresponding car,without the necessity of lifting it by hand or otherwise, upon theimmediate occasion of the coupling.

The draw-bar may be made of cast metal, or, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6,7, and 8, it may be made of wrought metahor partly of wrought metal andpartly of malleable or castiron, the said bar thus consisting of anouter shell, B, with an interior casing, B2, riveted therewith, as shownat bf.

As shown in Fig. 7, the outershell, B', may have in combinationtherewith a bell-shaped section, B, of wrought metal, riveted therewithupon its forward end,and the casing B2, made of cast or malleablemetal,located in the rear of said bell-shaped section and riveted inposition upon the outer shell, this cast or 'malleable casing beingrecessed to receive the extended shoulders of the fastener, and also thejournal by which the fastener is secured in place, said journal passingthrough the outer shell, as shown at b2. The section B3 may be dished,soas to guide the link, and, being made of wrought metal, will receive theforce of the adjacent car without liability of break age.

The draw-bar 1s recessed preferably, as well as made open on its undersurface, so as to permit the fastener to be closed up within the same,as shown in Fig. 2.

By constructing the fastener with extended shoulders located incorresponding recesses in the draw-bar, as described, it is obvious thatgreater wearing-surface is provided, and also greater strength anddurability.

I prefer to construct the spring which bears upon the rear extension ofthe fastener double, as shown in Fig. l, to increase its efficiency; butl would have it understood that I do not limit myself to any form ofspring for this purpose; neither do I limit myself to the use of thespring alone for retracting the fastener, as it is evident that the rearend of the fastener might be weighted, as shown in dotted lines, Fig.'8, to accomplish the same result.

rlhe operating-bar G may be conveniently secured intermediate of itsends upon the spring-timbers J by means of journal-plates K K', securedbeneath the ordinary draw-bar plates L by the same bolts, Z Z',heretofore used for securing said draw-bar plate in position. rIhespring which bears upon the link may` be made U-shaped, as shown in Fig.9, so as to bear upon both sides of the link.

rIhe interior of the drawbar is preferably 'constructed with bearings,upon which the link may be rested when in engagement therein, and uponwhich the spring may press the link to hold it in a horizontal position.In

the case of the solid cast-iron draw-bar these bearings are constructedintegral therewith.

In case a malleable or cast casing is used inside l. The combinationwith a draw-bar o )en on its under side and a fastener pivoted thereinintermediate of its ends, of an operating rock-bar extended to eitherside or top yof 'the car and provided with a rearward-extending armbearing beneath and against the rear end of said fastener, whereby thefastener can be tilted and thereby disengaged from the coupling-link,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a draw-bar open on its under side and afastener pivoted in said draw-bar, of a rock-bar extended to either sideor top .of the car and provided with a rearward-extending arm bearingagainst the rear under su rface of said fastener, and a ratchetmechanism for holding said rock-bar ina given posit-ion, substantiallyas described.

3. The combination, with a drawbar open on its Linder side and afastener pivoted in said draw-bar, of an operating-bar extended tothetop or side of the car and provided with a rearwardextending arm forengaging the rear end of said fastener, means for holding saidoperating-bar in a given position, and a spring for retracting thefastener when the operating-bar is released, substantially as described.

4E. The combination, with a draw-bar open on its under side and afastener pivoted in said drawbar, of a rock-bar having arearward-extending` arm for tilting said fastener and disengaging itfrom the link, a ratchet mechanism for holding said rock-bar in a givenposition, means for retracting the fastener when the rock-bar isreleased, and a spring for holding the engaged link in a substantiallyhorizontal position, substantially as described.

t. The combination, with -a draw-bar open on its under side, of afastener pivotally engaged therewith, said fastener constructed williextended jacent to said shoulders, whereby the strain may becommunicated from the fastener to the draw-bar, substantially asdescribed.

6. A draw-bar constructed with a wroughtnxetal shell having incombination therewith an interior casing of malleable or cast metalengaged therewith, substantially as described.

7. In a draw bar, the combination, with an exterior wrought-metal shell,of a bell-shaped section, B, engaged with the forward end of said shell,substantially as described.

8. In a draw-bar, the combination, with a Wrought-metal shell, of awrought-metal bellshaped section engaged with said shell at its forwardend, and the cast or malleable casing located within said shell in therear of said bell-shaped section, substantially as described. Intestimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

Witnesses: SOLON G. HOWE.

N. S. WRIGHT, M. B. ODocnnn'rv.

ICO

shoulders, and said bar recessed ad-

